Electric treasure-guard



i I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT A. HABERSHAM, on PORTLAND,OREGON.

ELECTRIC TREASURE-GUARD.

PEOIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 539,737 dated May 21,1895.

Application filed January 3,1895.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT A. HABERSHAM, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Portland, in the county of Multnomah and StateofOregon,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricTreasore-Guards; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a diagrammatic view illustrating theapplication of the in vention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing thesame. Fig. Sis a detail view showing the devices for holding andreleasing the coin-box cover, and Fig. 4 is a diagram showing thecircuits on a larger scale.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and efficient meansfor the protection of those engaged in handling money and othervaluables against robbery by violence; and the invention consists in thenovel construction and combination of parts, all as hereinafterdescribed and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in Fig. 1 of which I haverepresented diagrammatically the interior of a bank, or similarbuilding, the letter A designates the counter or desk upon which moneyor other valuables are handled during business hours. Upon this counterI secure one or more brass or other metallic plates B, according to thebusiness of the bank or otherinstitution, and the amount of valuableswhich it is desired to protect. Upon these plates are placed money ortreasure boxes 0. These boxes are formed of steel or brass, strongenough to preventtheir being easily forced open, and having lids of thesame material closing with a spring lock. These boxes are secured to theplates B in such a manner as to be immovable, and are of sufficientcapacity to receive the ordinary coin boxes during business hours.

D, D are metallic plates, usually of brass which are secured to thefloor upon each side of the counter. I

E-, E, designate electric wires which re- Serial No. 533,740. (Nomodel.)v

ceive theircurrent from the positive and negative wires F, F, of thenearest electric plant, or in the absence of such a plant, from anelectric battery capable of fn rnishinga current of considerable power.The wire E is connected to each of the metallic counter plates, asindigated, while the wire E is branched and connected to the two floorplates.

H is a double pole switch of which there .tion of the switch H, but Iprefer to obtain this current by connections 0 from the main wires asindicated. A spring 0 may be employed to throw the lid down when thecatch is released, or the lid may be arrangedto close by gravity. Uponoccasion of attempt at robbery, any one in the bank by closing theswitch completes the circuit through the magnets O closing the outer box0, and at the same time charging the floor plates, counter plates andboxes. The complete circuit through the said plates and boxes is howevernot made until the robber by stepping on the door plates and placing hishand upon the counter plate or box completes it through his body andreceives the full force of the current.

This form of the invention is more particularly designed for theprotection of non-metallic articles. Where coin only is handled, theordinary coin box, provided with a brass bottom will be sufficient. willrest on the brass counter plates when not in the safe or vault, and thecoin itself can be charged with sufficient current at any moment torender it dangerous to touch.

The floor plates and counter plates should be well insulated from theirsupports where the character of the latter is such as to renderinsulation necessary.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters- These coin boxes I with a counter upon which'money orother valuables are handled, of one or more metallic plates forming partof said counter, a metallie floor plate or plates adjacent to saidcounter, an electric circuit including therein said counter and floorplates, and capable of supplying a current of dangerous strength, atreasure box or boxes arranged to have metallic contact with saidcounter plates, and a switch for closing said circuit, substantially asspecified.

2. The combination with a metallic plate forming part of an electriccircuit, of a coin box arranged to have metallic contact with saidplate, a lid or closure for said box, an electro m'agnetic device fornormally holding said lid or closure open, means for supplyingcurrent tosaid device,'and a switch for controlling the circuit of both the boxand the electro-Inagnetic device, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT A. HABERSHA M.

Witnesses:

J. R. STODDARD, WM. FELDMAN.

